How do I get chicken to take antibiotics?

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Hi folks, I have a nasty-bottomed chicken that my vet says has a bacterial infection. He has perscribed tylan poweder/antibiotics. I can't seem to get anything like the required dosage into her. I've tried isolating her and putting it in her water. She won't drink the water all day. I've tried putting it in a nice warm dish of oatmeal and she turns her beak up at that too. I think I may have gotten the dosage into her 2 out of the past 6 days. Any ideas?

 

[klmclain1]

Picky girl eh? Try mixing it in a couple of tablespoons of wet cat food... give it to her first thing in the morning before she eats anything else... Good luck!

 

[dawg53]

I dont recommend the catfood. You're going to have to use a full syringe of the mixture (without needle) and give it to her orally 4-5 times a day for 5 days to ensure she gets enough down her to be effective. Pull her wattles down and her mouth will open or use your finger and thumb to force open her beak. Squirt it in and let her swallow it on her own.

 

[6chick*start]

I had a few lethargic chickens due to heat. Would not eat or drink anything. Here's how I got them to take vitamins and electrolytes...
Put the liguid in a small plastic bottle cap tilting it to one side. Gently push the head down forcing the beak in liguid and hold it there for a few seconds.
They have to drink it. This worked really well for me. Good luck

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Thanks folks,

I'm not sure whether she is picky or not or just stressed by being isolated and wont eat or drink much for that reason. I'll try more "aggressive" methods of getting her to take the meds rather than the "passive" ones of hoping she'll take it on her own. I may need to get more antibiotics from the vet since several days worth ended up being just dumped or washed down the garbage disposal.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

If you hold her head between your thumb and forefinger and tilt her head back to near verticle, her beak will open and you can use a syringe to get the antibiotics into here.